Tonight’s episode of Game of Thrones had viewers in for a few surprises. Here’s who didn’t make it through the fifth episode of the final season.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for the fifth episode of Game of Thrones‘ eighth season.
Safe to say — we knew coming into tonight’s episode, there would be plenty of death. We’ve been lacking in that department, especially considering the fact we’ve witnessed an epic battle in Winterfell and Daenerys arriving at King’s Landing. But then again, we can see why this show would keep us holding our breaths up until this episode — the penultimate episode of the final season.
And this episode literally killed it when it came to executing some character’s storylines. So without further ado, here’s who we lost tonight on Game of Thrones.
Spymaster Varys
At the top of tonight’s episode, we learn Varys has been sending crows out with information about Jon Snow’s Targaryen heritage. It doesn’t take long for Tyrion to relay this betrayal to Daenerys, and death comes swiftly to Varys. Daenerys executes him by dragonfire.
The people of King’s Landing
Daenerys (unfortunately) fulfilled a prophecy we hoped would not come true. Her initial casualties were Euron’s fleet and Cersei’s army. Yet even after the bells rang, essentially a white flag from Cersei and King’s Landing, Daenerys flew in with Drogon to burn the city down. The Mad Queen arrived, and the biggest casualty by far tonight were the innocents of King’s Landing who she took down… along with any hope of her being less of a terror than the rulers who sat on the Iron Throne before her.
Daenerys’ hopes of being a rightful queen
With Daenerys’ descent into tyrannical madness, so went any hope of her becoming the queen she set out to be. Daenerys of the House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, The Unburnt, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Queen of Meereen, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Protector of the Realm, Lady Regent of the Seven Kingdoms, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons… and finally, and most depressing of all, the Mad Queen.
Jerk bro Euron Greyjoy
Euron is successful in fatally wounding Jaime. But as we all watched, Jaime went out being a Kingslayer not once, but twice. Euron shouldn’t have tested Jaime by revealing he’d hooked up with his sister.
Cersei’s hand, Qyburn
Cleganebowl finally went down! The Hound went for his brother, the Mountain. And well, Qyburn gets in the way and uh, that doesn’t work out well for him. The Mountain dismisses his order to protect the queen, and is swiftly and fatally knocked.
The Hound and The Mountain
As for the results of Cleganebowl, well, there was a lot of Hulk smashing going on. And just when we thought the Mountain was going to kill the Hound like he killed Oberyn Martell, the Hound rises up and stabs his brother right in the head. The two go out in a literal ball of fire, falling from the Red Keep into flames set by Drogon.
Golden boy Jaime Lannister
As the city burned down, Euron Greyjoy emerged from the ocean like a creepy cockroach that just can’t die, and went for Jaime Lannister. He’s seriously wounded, but as noted above, he’s able to kill Euron before making his way to Cersei. Once he does, the two try to escape King’s Landing but fail. In the underground caverns of King’s Landing, surrounded by dragon skulls, the two are taken out by collapsing rubble.
Cersei Lannister
Fortunately, Cersei Lannister is finally taken out. Unfortunately, it wasn’t by way of Arya Stark. Instead, she’s taken out along with her brother Jaime. Perhaps Maggy the Frog’s prophecy slightly came true in that Cersei’s tears did “drown” her and the valonqar who took her life, by way of destroying King’s Landing, was Daenerys Targaryen.
Game of Thrones final episode airs next Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.
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